Profiles of Reminiscence among Older Adults: Perceived Stress, Life Attitudes, and Personality Variables

The goal of the present study was to identify subgroups of older participants on the basis of unique configurations of variables among functions of reminiscence, personality traits, life attitudes, and perceived stress by means of cluster analysis. Ninety-three older adults ( M = 66.7 years of age) completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory, the Life Attitude Profile-Revised, the Reminiscence Functions Scale, and the Psychological State of Stress Measure. Cluster membership was determined on the basis of intra-personal functions of reminiscence (Boredom Reduction, Death Preparation, Identity, Bitterness Revival). These groups were subsequently compared on personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience), life attitudes (Existential Vacuum, Goal Seeking), and perceived stress. Three distinct groupings emerged. A greater tendency to ruminate about negative memories and lower extraversion characterized the negative reminiscers. Higher frequency of reminiscence related to issues of identity, life meaning and death, together with a tendency toward openness to experience, typified the meaning seekers. Lower reminiscence frequency for each of the four functions, combined with lower perceived stress and neuroticism, characterized the infrequent reminiscers. These results are interpreted in terms of differential patterns of coping and adaptation.

Download Full-text

The Association Between Personality Traits and Depressive Symptoms in U.S. Chinese Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1264 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 392-393

Author(s):

Maggie Li ◽

XinQi Dong ◽

Dexia Kong

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Well Being ◽

Aging Research ◽

Chinese Older Adults ◽

Unit Increase ◽

Patient Health ◽

Minority Aging ◽

Neo Five Factor Inventory

Abstract Depressive symptoms are prevalent in the aging population and can negatively impact the health and well-being of older adults. Personality traits may interact with depressive symptoms, but there is currently limited knowledge regarding this relationship in minority aging research. This study aims to explore the associations between two personality traits, neuroticism and conscientiousness, and depressive symptoms in 3,157 U.S. Chinese older adults. Data were obtained from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE) collected between 2011 and 2013. Neuroticism and conscientiousness were measured by the NEO Five-factor Inventory. Depressive symptoms were measured by the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). 45.3% of the participants reported at least one depressive symptom. Controlling for potential confounders, logistic regression analyses showed that both traits were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. One unit increase in neuroticism was associated with 19% increased odds of having any depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR]=1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.17-1.22). One unit increase in conscientiousness was associated with 5% decreased odds of having any depressive symptoms (OR=0.95, 95% [CI]=0.94-0.96). Results validate the significant association between both traits and depressive symptoms among U.S. Chinese older adults, adding to the psychological and cultural profiles of those who have experienced mental distress. More in-depth examination using culturally-tailored measurements for personality traits is encouraged in minority aging studies. The NEO inventory was developed from Western populations and hence might not adequately represent personality traits valued by non-Western cultures.

Download Full-text

Associations Among Personality Traits, Stress Experiences, and Physical and Cognitive Outcomes in Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.034 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 9-9

Author(s):

Eileen Graham ◽

David Almeida

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Cognitive Change ◽

Cognitive Outcomes ◽

Key Factors ◽

Cognitive Health ◽

Novel Approach ◽

New Findings

Abstract Understanding between and within person variability in personality traits, and the processes of general and perceived stress are essential to understanding how to optimize cognitive health in older adults. It is well known that there is large variation in cognitive change: the pace and direction of change differs greatly across individuals. Personality traits and stress experiences are key factors that may account for some of these individual differences. The goal of our symposium is to present novel research in this area and discuss the implications for understanding personality, stress, and cognitive decline. First, Ferguson and colleagues will present a novel approach to assessing daily variability in personality. Their results demonstrate that daily personality assessments are able to capture within-person variability in personality, which could potentially help predict health trajectories in later adulthood. This is an important step in the study of change processes. Second, Luo and colleagues will present the factor structure of general and perceived stress, and show the predictive utility of these factors on physical and cognitive health outcomes. Third, Lawson and colleagues will discuss the extent to which personality is associated with cognitive function in a large sample of Mexican-origin adults. Fourth, Graham and colleagues will present results from a coordinated analysis that addressed associations among personality traits and cognitive decline both pre- and post- dementia diagnosis. Discussant David Almeida will contextualize these new findings and propose next steps.

Download Full-text

WHAT DOES MY PERSONALITY SAYS ABOUT MY FRIENDSHIPS IN LATER LIFE?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.586 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S164-S164

Author(s):

Emily Lim ◽

Elizabeth A Gallagher ◽

Cindy N Bui ◽

Celeste Beaulieu ◽

Elizabeth Simpson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Friendship Quality ◽

Later Life ◽

Openness To Experience ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Study Results ◽

Contact Frequency ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Personality traits, such as those identified in the Big Five Personality Model (i.e., openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), may be associated with different aspects of friendship among older adults. Additionally, men and women form and maintain their friendships differently, which may result in gender differences in their friendships. This study examined the relationship between specific personality traits and friendship characteristics, including friendship quantity, frequency of social interactions with friends, positive and negative friendship quality. The study also explored whether gender moderates the relationship between personality traits and friendships in later life. This study used data from 7,250 community-dwelling older adults, aged 65 years and above (M=75.4 years old, SD=6.91), who participated in 2012 and 2014 Leave-Behind Questionnaire of the Health and Retirement Study. Results from the linear regression analysis indicated significant main effects for the different personality traits and friendship quantity, quality and social interaction frequency, but no main effect for gender was found. However, the moderating effect of gender was significant for the relationship between specific personality traits (i.e. openness to experience, agreeableness and extraversion) and social interaction with friends, as well as for positive and negative friendship quality. For example, older women who scored high on openness to experience reported significantly lower social contact frequency with friends (B=-.16, p<.05) and higher negative friendship quality (B=.08, p<.05) than men who scored high on openness to experience. Study results provide insights for understanding better how personality traits and gender play a role in friendships in later life.

Download Full-text

Self-Reported Memory Problems Are Related to Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults With Certain Personality Traits

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1254 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 389-390

Author(s):

Sakshi Bhargava ◽

Nikki Hill ◽

Jacqueline Mogle

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Memory Decline ◽

Memory Problems ◽

Neo Five Factor Inventory ◽

Cognitively Intact ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Self-reported memory problems and depressive symptoms tend to co-occur in older adults; however, this relationship may depend on personality traits and the type of self-reported memory assessed. Using a coordinated analytic framework, this study examined whether neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness moderated the associations of older adults’ self-reported memory with depressive symptoms at between- and within-person levels across three large, longitudinal datasets (range=8-12 years of follow-up) of community-dwelling older adults with no evidence of cognitive impairment (n=427-6,960; Mage: 69.47- 75.94; 72-84% White; 60-64% Female). Assessments of depressive symptoms (GDS-15 or CES-D) and self-reported memory (perceived memory decline, frequency of forgetting, and current memory rating) were taken annually or biennially; personality was assessed via the IPIP or NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Results were largely consistent across datasets. Specifically, between persons, self-reported memory problems (including perceived memory decline, higher frequency of forgetting, and lower current memory rating) were related to higher depressive symptoms only among older adults higher in neuroticism. In one dataset, results supported a protective effect of conscientiousness such that higher frequency of forgetting was related to lower depressive symptoms among older adults higher in this trait. Within persons and across datasets, at times when perceived memory decline was reported, or current memory rating was lower, depressive symptoms tended to be higher only in older adults higher in neuroticism. Results demonstrate the importance of considering personality traits and the type of self-reported memory when examining associations among reports of memory problems and depressive symptoms in cognitively intact older adults.

Download Full-text

Prožívaná smysluplnost v kontextu osobnostních rysů budoucích učitelů

E-psychologie ◽

10.29364/epsy.418 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Miroslava Jirásková ◽

Alena Petrová ◽

Ivo Jirásek

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Work Performance ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Statistical Processing ◽

Openness To Experience ◽

Future Teachers ◽

Personality Variable ◽

Personality Variables ◽

Further Development

Background. The individually experienced fulfilment of one's own life is utterly unique. It is a very important experience with regard to the quality of life of each individual and their mental health and work performance. This topic has attracted increased research interest in the Czech Republic in recent decades, especially in the discourses of psychology and pedagogy. Methods. The research study documented in this contribution deals with the experience of life fulfilment and existential grounding in a group of university students who were future teachers (n = 346, of whom 294 were women) aged 19–27 years. Two questionnaires were used to collect the data, specifically the Logo-test and the NEO five-factor personality inventory. The data that was obtained was analysed in the context of selected personality traits (extraversion, friendliness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience); other factors that were observed were differences between the sexes, age, year of study, and form of study. The complementary qualitative processing of the data that was obtained also included free subjective statements about the life stories of 282 of the respondents. Results. The determined level of lived meaningfulness of life was correlated with selected personality variables of the respondents by means of statistical processing. The results of the research show a significant positive link between the degree of lived meaningfulness and the representation of the personality traits of extraversion, friendliness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. A negative relationship was found between the personality variable of neuroticism and the degree of meaningfulness that was experienced. Conclusions. The results of the survey can be considered very favourable; they convincingly demonstrate a sufficiently meaningful and existentially rooted life for the majority of the respondents from the ranks of future teachers (95.6% of the respondents). A level of experienced meaningfulness which is questionable and thus endangers the further development of the individualʼs personality or the respondent lacks it altogether was only found in a negligible part of the sample (4.4%). In connection with the future profession of the group of people who were observed, in which they will wield a significant influence on the personality of their pupils and students, it can be concluded that our results are pleasing.

Download Full-text

Personality Traits and Marital Satisfaction in Predicting Couples’ Attitudes Toward Infidelity

Journal of Relationships Research ◽

10.1017/jrr.2019.10 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Mentari Namira Pertiwi Isma ◽

Sherly Saragih Turnip

Keyword(s):

Marital Satisfaction ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Openness To Experience ◽

Satisfaction Scale ◽

Men And Women ◽

Intrapersonal Factors ◽

Married Men ◽

Neo Five Factor Inventory ◽

And Gender

Abstract This study aims to investigate the role of marital satisfaction and personality traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) in predicting attitudes toward infidelity. The participants of the study were 438 married men and women ranging in age from 22 to 40 years old (M = 31.02, SD = 4.3). The results from the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Evaluation and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness (ENRICH) Marital Satisfaction Scale and Attitudes toward Infidelity Scale used in this study indicate that conscientiousness and neuroticism, followed by marital satisfaction and gender, are significant predictors of attitudes toward infidelity. From these results, it can be concluded that attitudes toward infidelity can be predicted by demographic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors.

Download Full-text

A potential link between early language developmental milestones and personality traits in adulthood

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025419889185 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 383-392

Author(s):

Trine Flensborg-Madsen ◽

Cathrine Lawaetz Wimmelmann ◽

Erik Lykke Mortensen

Keyword(s):

Language Development ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Young Adulthood ◽

Openness To Experience ◽

Eysenck Personality Questionnaire ◽

Early Language ◽

Adult Personality ◽

Potential Link ◽

Neo Five Factor Inventory

Background: Although plausible links between language development and personality have been suggested, longitudinal studies of these associations into adulthood have not been conducted. Aim: To investigate whether children’s age at attaining language milestones is associated with later adult personality. Methods: Mothers’ of 8,400 children from the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort recorded six language milestones during the child’s first 3 years of life. Information on at least one language milestone was available for two subsamples with adult follow-up information on personality: The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was available for 691 individuals with a mean age of 27.5 years and The NEO Five-Factor Inventory was available for 902 individuals with a mean age of 50.0 years. Results: Faster attainment of language milestones was associated with lower neuroticism in young adulthood and with higher extraversion and openness to experience in midlife. A total of 1.9% of the variance in neuroticism, 2.5% of the variance in extraversion, and 1.6% of the variance in openness to experience was explained by language milestones. Conclusion: Only a modest part of variance in personality traits was explained by language milestones. However, the study adds to the literature on potential consequences of the timing of language development and suggests a link between language milestones and personality in adulthood.

Download Full-text

Investment Traits and Intelligence in Adulthood

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000101 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 82-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sophie von Stumm

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Need For Cognition ◽

Openness To Experience ◽

Intelligence Tests ◽

Crystallized Intelligence ◽

New Knowledge ◽

The Relationship ◽

Over Time

Intelligence-as-knowledge in adulthood is influenced by individual differences in intelligence-as-process (i.e., fluid intelligence) and in personality traits that determine when, where, and how people invest their intelligence over time. Here, the relationship between two investment traits (i.e., Openness to Experience and Need for Cognition), intelligence-as-process and intelligence-as-knowledge, as assessed by a battery of crystallized intelligence tests and a new knowledge measure, was examined. The results showed that (1) both investment traits were positively associated with intelligence-as-knowledge; (2) this effect was stronger for Openness to Experience than for Need for Cognition; and (3) associations between investment and intelligence-as-knowledge reduced when adjusting for intelligence-as-process but remained mostly significant.

Download Full-text